Inductive power transmission in aircraft seats

ABSTRACT

Described are aircraft passenger seat assemblies with a passenger seat, a component with an outer surface attached the passenger seat. An inductive wireless power unit with a coil assembly is included with the aircraft passenger seat assembly, and the coil assembly is positioned within the component. A portion of the outer surface of the component covers the coil assembly. Wires connecting the coil assembly to a power supply are hidden from view within the aircraft passenger seat assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. national phase entry of InternationalPatent Application Serial No. PCT/US2015/024748 (“the '748application”), filed on Apr. 7, 2015, which application is related toand claims priority benefits from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/976,452 (“the '452 application”), filed on Apr. 7, 2014, entitledINDUCTIVE POWER TRANSMISSION, AIRCRAFT CABIN INTERIORS, and U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/093,880 (“the '880 application”),filed on Dec. 18, 2014, entitled INDUCTION WIRELESS CHARGING INTEGRATEDINTO A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT PASSENGER SEAT, the entire contents of eachof which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to inductive power transmission incorporated intoaircraft seats.

BACKGROUND

Wireless power transfer (“WPT”) or wireless energy transmission is thetransmission of electrical power from a power source to a consumingdevice without using solid wires or conductors. It is a generic termthat refers to a number of different power transmission technologiesthat use time-varying electromagnetic fields. Wireless transmission isuseful to power electrical devices in cases where interconnecting wiresare inconvenient, hazardous, or are not possible. In wireless powertransfer generally, a transmitter device connected to a power sourcetransmits power by an electromagnetic field across an intervening spaceto one or more receiver devices, where it is converted back to electricpower and utilized.

Wireless power techniques fall into two categories, non-radiative andradiative. In near-field or non-radiative techniques, power may betransferred over short distances by magnetic fields using inductivecoupling between coils of wire (also known as inductive powertransmission). Typically, in inductive power transmission, the circuitacting as the power source generates an alternating current that is fedto a first set of coils, which responds to the alternating current byproducing an alternating magnetic field that permeates the space aroundit. A second circuit acting as the load, containing a second set ofcoils, is placed in such a way as to immerse the second set of coils inthe magnetic field generated by the first circuit. The second set ofcoils in the second circuit responds to the alternating magnetic fieldby generating an electromotive force, EMF, that can in turn generate acurrent in the second circuit, effectively transferring power form thefirst circuit to the second circuit. Additional circuitry on the secondcircuit may rectify the alternating current so that direct currentdevices can be utilized. If the first circuit, also known as atransmitter, and the second circuit, also known as a receiver, are tunedso that they resonate with each other, greater distances and moreefficiency can be achieved.

Applications of this type are electric toothbrush chargers, RFID tags,smartcards, and chargers for implantable medical devices like artificialcardiac pacemakers, and inductive powering or charging of electricvehicles like trains or buses. More recently, wireless systems utilizinginductive power transmission “IPT” (also known as inductive wirelesscharging) have been developed to charge mobile and handheld computingdevices, such as cellphones, digital music players, and portablecomputers without being tethered to a wall plug. These IPT devices arecurrently being utilized in the automotive/mass transport industries, aswell as in some major restaurant chains, which allows people to leavetheir cables and chargers at home.

As aircraft interiors continue to integrate electronic devices, as wellas become more compatible with personal electronic devices (“PEDs”)brought aboard by passengers, IPT offers an opportunity to operate thesePEDs in the aircraft cabin without being encumbered by electrical powerlines, as well as a way to provide more robust electrical power supplysystems for devices mounted on articulating components. In addition tosupplying power for PEDs directly, IPT can be used to provide a stationfor charging devices that contain batteries, whether they are integratedinto the cabin or a passenger's PED.

In particular, IPT offers an attractive alternative to other forms ofwireless charging that require the user to either alter the battery packin the device, or attach an unattractive/obtrusive charging case tocharge the device conductively (i.e., to form a metal-to-metalconnection between the charger and the device requiring charging). Theseconductive charging stations are undesirable in aircraft because of theexposure to various elements, such as spilled drinks, foreign debris,etc. In contrast, IPT can be used with a variety of surfaces, profiles,and materials positioned between the charger and the device requiringcharging. As a result, IPT is a good candidate for integrating withindifferent components in aircraft seat structures.

A drawback to the adoption of IPT generally has been the lack of auniform charging standard. Currently, there are three major chargingstandards that the mobile industry is supporting: Qi, which is supportedby the Wireless Charging Consortium (“WPC”), Rezence, which is supportedby Alliance for Wireless Power (“A4WP”), and Powermat, which issupported by the Power Matters Alliance (“PMA”). In January 2015, A4WPand PMA announced that the two organizations will merge into a neworganization with the intent to consolidate the industry.

Qi is an interface standard developed by the WPC for inductiveelectrical power transfer over distance of up to 4 cm (1.6 in) based onresonant inductive coupling. It comprises a power transmission pad and acompatible receiver in a portable device. Low-power delivers up to 5 W(typically used to charge mobile devices), medium-power delivers up to120 W (typically used to power displays and laptops), and high-powerwill deliver up to 1 kW, allowing powering kitchen utensils, etc.

Some specific drawbacks to adoption of IPT in aircraft, among others,has been the concern over wasting power consumption when no devicerequiring charging is present, overheating the lithium ion batteries,and over-charging. Recent developments in IPT printed circuit board(“PCB”) technology have addressed many of these concerns by includingtechnology that discerns between metallic objects (such as soda cans,keys, metal heat transfer elements built into aircraft components) andPEDs so that the power transfer is only initiated when a PED is present.Furthermore, the IPT PCB has been provided with the ability to preventpower transfer when the temperature in the PED exceeds a thresholdvalue, such as 60° C. The IPT PCB has also been provided with theability to detect charging capacity and terminate power transfer whenthe charging capacity of the PED reaches 98%. With these improvements,IPT technology has recently been approved by the FAA for inclusion inaircraft generally.

Thus, with the recent FAA approval, it is desirable to design aircraftpassenger seats that incorporate IPT technology in locations thatfacilitate wireless charging of PEDs through various modifications ofthe seat components without negatively impacting manufacturing costs,material costs, and/or installation and use of such seats.

SUMMARY

The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “thepresent invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly toall of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below.Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit thesubject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of thepatent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patentare defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is ahigh-level overview of various aspects of the invention and introducessome of the concepts that are further described in the DetailedDescription section below. This summary is not intended to identify keyor essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intendedto be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. The subject matter should be understood by reference toappropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any orall drawings and each claim.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an aircraftpassenger seat assembly comprises a passenger seat, a componentcomprising an outer surface positioned proximate to the passenger seat,and an inductive wireless power unit comprising a coil assembly, whereinthe coil assembly is positioned within the component,

wherein a portion of the outer surface of the component covers the coilassembly, and wherein wires connecting the coil assembly to a powersupply are hidden from view within the aircraft passenger seat assembly.

In some embodiments, the component is at least one of a shellsurrounding the passenger seat, a headrest, an arm rest, and a cocktailtray. The inductive wireless power unit may further comprise a printedcircuit board positioned within the passenger seat.

In certain embodiments, the portion of the outer surface covering thecoil assembly is formed of non-metallic materials. The portion of theouter surface covering the coil assembly may be integrally formed with aremainder of the outer surface and/or may be coupled to a remainder ofthe outer surface.

In certain embodiments, the inductive wireless power unit is configuredso that the coil assembly charges a personal electronic device having asecond coil assembly positioned at a distance of 9 mm-35 mm from thecoil assembly.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an aircraftpassenger seat assembly comprises a passenger seat back comprising anouter shroud, and an inductive wireless power unit comprising a coilassembly, wherein the coil assembly is positioned within the passengerseat back, wherein a portion of the outer shroud covers the coilassembly, and wherein wires connecting the coil assembly to a powersupply are hidden from view within the passenger seat back.

In certain embodiments, the inductive wireless power unit furthercomprises a printed circuit board positioned within the passenger seatback.

In certain embodiments, the portion of the outer shroud covering thecoil assembly is formed of non-metallic materials. The portion of theouter shroud covering the coil assembly may be integrally formed with aremainder of the outer shroud and/or may be coupled to a remainder ofthe outer shroud.

According to some embodiments, the coil assembly may be positionedbehind an upper literature pocket, a lower literature pocket, and/or astowage location for a tray table. In some embodiments, a second coilassembly is positioned within the tray table in a location that iswithin close proximity of the coil assembly when the tray table is in astowed position. In some embodiments, the tray table comprises anelectronic reader.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an aircraftpassenger seat assembly comprises a tray table comprising an outershroud and tray table arms pivotally coupled to the aircraft passengerseat assembly, and an inductive wireless power unit comprising a coilassembly, wherein the coil assembly is positioned within the tray table,wherein a portion of the outer shroud covers the coil assembly, andwherein wires connecting the coil assembly to a power supply are hiddenfrom view along at least one of the tray table arms.

In certain embodiments, the inductive wireless power unit furthercomprises a printed circuit board positioned within the aircraftpassenger seat assembly.

In certain embodiments, the portion of the outer shroud covering thecoil assembly is formed of non-metallic materials. The portion of theouter shroud covering the coil assembly may be integrally formed with aremainder of the outer shroud and/or may be coupled to a remainder ofthe outer shroud.

In some embodiments, the wires are routed through a hollow core locatedwithin one of the arms and/or along an outer surface of one of the arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an inductive wireless power unit positionedwithin a tray table with a personal electronic device positioned inclose proximity to the inductive wireless power unit so that the batteryin the personal electronic device is being charged, according to certainembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a tray table with a power location positionedabove a coil assembly of an inductive wireless power unit, according tocertain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of the tray table of FIG. 2 showing thelocation of the wire routed through the body of the tray table.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the tray table of FIG. 2 with a portion ofthe tray table folded into a stowed position to better illustrate thelocation of the wire routed through the body of the tray table.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the tray table of FIG. 2 showing a portionof the tray table arm and the location of the wire routed along an outersurface of the tray table arm.

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the tray table arm of FIG. 5 and thelocation of the wire routed along the outer surface of the tray tablearm and covered with a shroud until the wire reaches the passenger seat.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a row of aircraft passenger seats indicating alocation of the inductive wireless power unit within a headrest,according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a rear view of a row of aircraft passenger seats indicating alocation of the inductive wireless power unit within a seat back behindan upper literature pocket, according to certain embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of a row of aircraft passenger seats indicating alocation of the inductive wireless power unit within a seat back behinda tray table or within the tray table, according to certain embodimentsof the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a rear view of a row of aircraft passenger seats indicating alocation of the inductive wireless power unit within a seat back behinda lower literature pocket, according to certain embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 11 is a rear view of a row of aircraft passenger seats indicating alocation of an electronic reader within a tray table, according tocertain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a tray table arm having an inductivewireless power unit positioned within a pivot location of the tray tablearm, according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the tray table arm of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a partially assembled view of the tray table arm of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a side view of an inductive wireless power unit positionedwithin a passenger seat back, and an electronic reader and coil assemblypositioned within a tray table, wherein the tray table is in a partiallydeployed position, according to certain embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the inductive wireless power unit andelectronic reader and coil assembly of FIG. 15, wherein the tray tableis in a stowed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedhere with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but thisdescription is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of theclaims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, mayinclude different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction withother existing or future technologies. This description should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among orbetween various steps or elements except when the order of individualsteps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an aircraftpassenger seat assembly 10 may comprise at least one IPT unit 12. TheIPT unit 12 typically comprises a first metallic coil assembly 14 and aPCB 16. Electrical current is supplied to the coil assembly 14, often ina magnitude of less than 200 mA, which creates an alternatingelectromagnetic field. When a PED 18 containing a second metallic coilassembly 20 is positioned in close proximity to, and aligned with, thecoil assembly 14 (as illustrated in FIG. 1), the coil assembly 20responds to the alternating electromagnetic field by generating anelectromotive force, EMF, which in turn generates electrical current tocharge a battery within the PED 18. For devices that do not have IPTcapable batteries, an attachment dongle may be used to provide thenecessary IPT components to charge the device just as well as IPTcapable devices. In certain embodiments, the IPT unit 12 may be used topower devices directly when those devices are placed within theappropriate proximity to the IPT unit 12.

When these components are assembled in a particular way and the PCB 16is suitably programmed, the IPT unit 12 will have the capability toinductively charge devices through a variety of materials within acertain range, allow for charging up to a certain limit, and properlyidentify candidate charging systems.

In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1-6 and 9, the IPT unit 12 maybe integrated between outer shrouds 22 of a tray table 24 (forward oraft), with the PCB 16 and the coil assembly 14 positioned inside thetray table 24. In other embodiments, the coil assembly 14 may bepositioned inside the tray table 24, while the PCB 16 may be locatedoutside of the tray table 24 and positioned within a seat back 34 orbelow the passenger seat 10 in an inconspicuous location. For example,the PCB 16 may be positioned near or within a power supply 28 or anin-flight entertainment (“IFE”) box 30 located below the passenger seat10, particularly since the IPT unit 12 is connected to one of theseunits 28, 30 to provide electrical current to the coil assembly 14.

In these embodiments, a portion 42 of one of the outer shrouds 22 of thetray table 24 may be marked with a power location 44. The power location44 may be configured to indicate the location and direction forpositioning the PED 18 on the power location 44 so that the coilassembly 20 within the PED 18 is properly aligned with respect to thecoil assembly 14 inside the tray table 24 to ensure that power istransferred to the PED 18.

Because the distance between the IPT unit 12 and the PED 18 is also acritical factor that impacts the efficiency of charging (particularly atlow power transmissions), the power location 44 may be configured sothat the distance between the coil assembly 14 and the second coilassembly 20 is between 41 mm-60 mm, while also achieving a chargingefficiency of at least 80%. In further embodiments, to further improvethe charging efficiency above 80%, the power location 44 may beconfigured so that the distance between the coil assembly 14 and thesecond coil assembly 20 is between 35 mm-41 mm, and may be furtherconfigured so that the distance is between 9 mm-35 mm, and may befurther configured so that the distance is 9 mm or less.

Furthermore, the power location 44 is formed of materials that do notimpede or interfere with charging, which include but are not limited tonon-metallic materials, including but not limited to lexan,polycarbonates, other suitable plastic and composite materials, wovenand non-woven fabric materials, or other suitable materials. In certainembodiments, other portions of the outer shroud 22 (that do not coverthe coil assembly 14) may have a thickness that exceeds the maximumthickness suitable to cover the power location 44 and/or may bereinforced with metal sheets or other materials that would impede orotherwise interfere with charging (if positioned over the coil assembly14), but which may be needed to ensure that the tray table 24 is ablewithstand ordinary and repeated use by passengers.

In such cases, the power location 44 may be integrally formed with theshroud using a mold that decreases the thickness of the power location44 and/or imparts the requisite markings into the power location 44shape. The power location 44 may be reinforced using a thin layer of amaterial having greater strength properties between the power location44 and the coil 14 to ensure that the power location 44 is not damageddue to repeated use and ordinary wear and tear by passengers.

Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the power location 44 may be aseparately formed unit that is attached to a cutout location in one ofthe outer shrouds 22. By separately forming the power location 44, astronger (and potentially more expensive) material may be used to formthe power location 44, which ensures that the thinner material is ableto withstand repeated use, while having the option of using standard(and potentially less expensive) materials to form the remainder of theshroud 22, thus avoiding any unnecessarily increasing the overall costsof the tray tables 24.

Wires 46 are required to provide electrical current to the IPT unit 12and/or to connect the PCB 16 to the coil assembly 14. In the tray table24, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, these wires 46 may be routed throughthe tray table 24 and then through or along the tray table arms 48 intothe seat back 34 to reach the power supply 28 and/or the IFE box 30 (andthe PCB 16 if it is separated from the coil assembly 14). In order toconceal the wires 46 while the tray table 24 is in use, one or both ofthe tray table arms 48 may comprise a hollow core to allow the wires 46to be fed through them down to the seat back 34. In other embodiments,the wires 46 may be hidden via plastic shrouding 50 that covers one orboth tray table arms 48 and the wires 46.

In other embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 8, 10-11, and 15-16, theIPT unit 12 may be integrated into the seat back 34. In theseembodiments, the PCB 16 may be located anywhere along the length andwidth of the seat back 34 and/or below the passenger seat 10 positionednear or within the power supply 28 or the IFE box 30. One or more coilassemblies 14 may be located in any specific location in the seat back34 where the PED 18 may be charged.

In these embodiments, an outer shroud 50 of the seat back 34 may bemarked with the power location 44. As described above with respect tothe tray table 24, the power location 44 may be configured to indicatethe location and direction for positioning the PED 18 on the powerlocation 44 so that the coil assembly 20 within the PED 18 is properlyaligned with respect to the coil assembly 14 inside the tray table 24 toensure that power is transferred to the PED 18. Since the power location44 is substantially vertical in these embodiments, a mechanism to holdthe PED 18 to the power location 44 may be required. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 8, the power location 44 may be positioned behind anupper literature pocket 36 so that the PED 18 may charge while in anacceptable viewing position. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the IPT unit 12may also be positioned inside a lower literature pocket 38. In yet otherembodiments, the power location 44 may be positioned in any othersuitable location or niche within the seat back 34 and/or surroundingseat shell.

Because the distance between the IPT unit 12 and the PED 18 is also acritical factor that impacts the efficiency of charging (particularly atlow power transmissions), the power location 44 may be configured sothat the distance between the coil assembly 14 and the second coilassembly 20 is between 41 mm-60 mm, while also achieving a chargingefficiency of at least 80%. In further embodiments, to further improvethe charging efficiency above 80%, the power location 44 may beconfigured so that the distance between the coil assembly 14 and thesecond coil assembly 20 is between 35 mm-41 mm, and may be furtherconfigured so that the distance is between 9 mm-35 mm, and may befurther configured so that the distance is 9 mm or less.

In certain embodiments, other portions of the outer shroud 50 (that donot cover the coil assembly 14) may have a thickness that exceeds themaximum thickness suitable to cover the power location 44 and/or may bereinforced with metal sheets or other materials that would impede orotherwise interfere with charging (if positioned over the coil assembly14), but which may be needed to ensure that the seat back 34 is ablewithstand ordinary and repeated use by passengers.

In such cases, the power location 44 may be integrally formed with theouter shroud 50 using a mold that decreases the thickness of the powerlocation 44 and/or imparts the requisite markings into the powerlocation 44 shape. The power location 44 may be reinforced using a thinlayer of a stronger material between the power location 44 and the coil14 to ensure that the power location 44 is not damaged due to repeateduse and ordinary wear and tear by passengers.

Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the power location 44 may be aseparately formed unit that is attached to a cutout location in theouter shroud 50. By separately forming the power location 44, a stronger(and potentially more expensive) material may be used to form the powerlocation 44, which ensures that the thinner material is able towithstand repeated use, while also being able to use standard (andpotentially less expensive) materials to form the remainder of the outershroud 50, thus avoiding any unnecessarily increasing the overall costsof the seat back 34.

Because the IPT unit 12 is positioned within the seat back 34, there isless concern about the need to hide the wires 46 that provide electricalcurrent to the IPT unit 12 and/or to connect the PCB 16 to the coilassembly 14. Rather, the wires 46 are hidden from view by the seat back34.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the IPT unit 12 may also be incorporated intoother areas of economy class, first class, and/or business classpassenger seats 10, such as a headrest 32 to charge new versions of IFEequipment and/or to charge wireless headphones while being worn bypassengers seated in the passenger seat 10. Other suitable locations forthe IPT unit 12 include a cocktail tray, center console, end bay, seatshell, or other niches formed in the passenger seat 10 or surroundingshells or monuments. The IPT unit 12 may also be reduced in size toaccommodate smaller spaces within the passenger seat 10, such as an armrest 40 or a cocktail tray or other smaller-sized console.

In each case, the entire IPT unit 12 may be located in the respectiveposition or just the coil assembly 14 may be located in the respectiveposition and connected to the PCB 16 that is located within the seatback 34 or below the passenger seat 10 within or near the power supply28 or the IFE box 30.

Because the distance between the IPT unit 12 and the PED 18 is also acritical factor that impacts the efficiency of charging (particularly atlow power transmissions), the power location 44 may be configured sothat the distance between the coil assembly 14 and the second coilassembly 20 is between 41 mm-60 mm, while also achieving a chargingefficiency of at least 80%. In further embodiments, to further improvethe charging efficiency above 80%, the power location 44 may beconfigured so that the distance between the coil assembly 14 and thesecond coil assembly 20 is between 35 mm-41 mm, and may be furtherconfigured so that the distance is between 9 mm-35 mm, and may befurther configured so that the distance is 9 mm or less.

Likewise, the material positioned between the coil assembly 14 and thePED 18 in each of these power locations 44 may be formed of materialsthat do not impede or interfere with charging, as described above. Thesepower locations 44 may be integrally formed with the surrounding outerlayers (at the requisite thickness and/or reinforced with a suitablystrong material) or may be a separately formed unit that is attached toa cutout location in the outer layer. For example, with respect to thehead rest location, the material positioned over the coil assembly 14may comprise the head rest fabric and/or may comprise additionalcushioning that protects the coil assembly 14 and/or cushions thepassenger's head from the coil assembly 14.

In certain embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 15-16, the IPT unit 12may be positioned within the seat back 34 and used to charge anelectronic reader 52 positioned within the tray table 24. In theseembodiments, the electronic reader 52 includes a coil assembly 20positioned below a suitably thin portion of the shroud 22, and the coilassembly 14 is positioned within a cutout location in the outer shroud50 so that the coil assembly 14 is positioned as closely as possible tothe coil assembly 20 when the tray table 24 is in the stowed position toeffectively charge the electronic reader 52. The PCB 16 recognizes whenthe coil assembly 20 is in close proximity to the coil assembly 14 andswitches on the charging, as shown in FIG. 16. The PCB 16 alsorecognizes when the battery of the electronic reader 52 is 98% chargedand/or exceeds 60° C., and switches off the charging when eithercondition is present. The PCB 16 also switches off the charging when itsenses that the coil assembly 20 is not in close proximity to the coilassembly 14, as shown in FIG. 15.

In other embodiments, of the electronic reader 52, the IPT unit 12 maybe located in a pivot location 54 of the tray table arms 48, asillustrated in FIGS. 12-14. In these embodiments, wires 46 may bepositioned within a lower portion 56 of the tray table arm 48 andconnected to a coil assembly 14 positioned at the pivot location 54. Thecoil assembly 20 is positioned in close proximity to the coil assembly14 at the pivot location 54 and attached to an upper portion 58 of thetray table arm 48. Additional wires 46 connect the coil assembly 20 tothe electronic reader 52 in the tray table 24. In these embodiments, thecoil assemblies 14, 20 remain in close proximity to one another when thetray table 24 is deployed and stowed, thus providing a continuous chargeand/or continuous power to the electronic reader 52 without the concernover routing wires 46 through the articulating pivot location 54.

Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings ordescribed above, as well as components and steps not shown or describedare possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are usefuland may be employed without reference to other features andsub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described forillustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodimentswill become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the presentinvention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depictedin the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims below.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft passenger seat assembly comprising: apassenger seat comprising a cutout; a component comprising an outersurface positioned proximate to the passenger seat such that thecomponent is positioned within the cutout; and an inductive wirelesspower unit comprising a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly ispositioned within the component, wherein: the coil assembly isconfigured to charge a personal electronic device when the personalelectronic device is positioned adjacent to the component; a portion ofthe outer surface of the component covers the coil assembly; and wiresconnecting the coil assembly to a power supply are hidden from viewwithin the aircraft passenger seat assembly.
 2. The aircraft passengerseat assembly of claim 1, wherein the component is at least one of (i) aportion of a shell surrounding the passenger seat, (ii) a portion of aheadrest, (iii) a portion of the passenger seat adjacent to an upperliterature pocket, (iv) a portion of the passenger seat adjacent to alower literature pocket, (v) a portion of a tray table, (vi) a portionof an arm rest, and (vii) a portion of a cocktail tray.
 3. The aircraftpassenger seat assembly of claim 1, wherein the inductive wireless powerunit further comprises a printed circuit board positioned within thepassenger seat.
 4. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 1,wherein the portion of the outer surface covering the coil assembly isformed of non-metallic materials.
 5. The aircraft passenger seatassembly of claim 1, wherein the portion of the outer surface coveringthe coil assembly is integrally formed with a remainder of the outersurface.
 6. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 1, wherein theportion of the outer surface covering the coil assembly is coupled to aremainder of the outer surface.
 7. The aircraft passenger seat assemblyof claim 1, wherein the personal electronic device comprises a secondcoil assembly positioned at a distance of 9 mm-35 mm from the coilassembly during charging.
 8. The aircraft passenger seat assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the component comprises a portion of the passenger seatsuch that the coil assembly is positioned behind a stowage location fora tray table.
 9. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 8,wherein a second coil assembly is positioned within the tray table in alocation that is within close proximity of the coil assembly when thetray table is in a stowed position.
 10. The aircraft passenger seatassembly of claim 9, wherein the tray table comprises an electronicreader.
 11. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 1, wherein thecoil assembly is positioned such that the personal electronic devicecharges while in an acceptable viewing position.
 12. An aircraftpassenger seat assembly comprising; a passenger seat back comprising anouter shroud; and an inductive wireless power unit comprising a coilassembly, wherein the coil assembly is positioned within the passengerseat back to charge a personal electronic device, wherein: the coilassembly is positioned such that the personal electronic device chargeswhile in an acceptable viewing position; a portion of the outer shroudcovers the coil assembly; and wires connecting the coil assembly to apower supply are hidden from view within the passenger seat back. 13.The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 12, wherein the inductivewireless power unit further comprises a printed circuit board positionedwithin the passenger seat back.
 14. The aircraft passenger seat assemblyof claim 12, wherein the portion of the outer shroud covering the coilassembly is formed of non-metallic materials.
 15. The aircraft passengerseat assembly of claim 12, wherein the portion of the outer shroudcovering the coil assembly is integrally formed with a remainder of theouter shroud.
 16. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 12,wherein the portion of the outer shroud covering the coil assembly iscoupled to a remainder of the outer shroud.
 17. The aircraft passengerseat assembly of claim 12, wherein the coil assembly is positionedwithin the passenger seat back adjacent to an upper literature pocketsuch that the personal electronic device charges when positioned in theupper literature pocket.
 18. The aircraft passenger seat assembly ofclaim 12, wherein the coil assembly is positioned within the passengerseat back adjacent to a lower literature pocket such that the personalelectronic device charges when positioned in the lower literaturepocket.
 19. An aircraft passenger seat assembly comprising: a tray tablecomprising a cutout, an outer shroud, and tray table arms pivotallycoupled to the aircraft passenger seat assembly; and an inductivewireless power unit comprising a coil assembly, wherein the coilassembly is positioned within the cutout of the tray table; wherein aportion of the outer shroud covers the coil assembly; and wherein wiresconnecting the coil assembly to a power supply are hidden from viewalong at least one of the tray table arms.
 20. The aircraft passengerseat assembly of claim 19, wherein the coil assembly is positioned suchthat a personal electronic device charges while in an acceptable viewingposition.
 21. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 19, whereinthe portion of the outer shroud covering the coil assembly is integrallyformed with a remainder of the outer shroud.
 22. The aircraft passengerseat assembly of claim 19, wherein the portion of the outer shroudcovering the coil assembly is coupled to a remainder of the outershroud.
 23. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 19, whereinthe wires are routed through a hollow core located within one of thetray table arms.
 24. The aircraft passenger seat assembly of claim 19,wherein the wires are routed along an outer surface of one of the traytable arms.
 25. An aircraft passenger seat assembly comprising: apassenger seat comprising a cutout; an inductive wireless power unitcomprising a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly is positionedwithin the cutout; wherein the passenger seat is configured to receiveand hold a personal electronic device adjacent to the cutout at anacceptable viewing position for a person seated behind the passengerseat; and wherein the cutout is configured to position the coil assemblyin close proximity to a coil assembly of the personal electronic devicesuch that the personal electronic device charges while in the acceptableviewing position.
 26. An aircraft passenger seat assembly comprising: atray table comprising a pivot location; an inductive wireless power unitcomprising a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly is located withinthe pivot location of the tray table; wherein the coil assembly isconfigured to be positioned in close proximity to a coil assembly of apersonal electronic device to charge the personal electronic device.